The Importance of Birth Certificates
by Lunastar268
Summary: What happens when the police raid your house only to find a locked door, which opens to reveal a 14 year old inside? The suspect claims the boy's his nephew but can provide no birth certificate, school records, proof of guardianship, or any other form of ID? Add in a headmaster under fire and death eaters out to cause mischief? Answer: trouble, with a nice dash of chaos. Set in GOF
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone. So I wanted to focus on one story at a time and get my first one finished before moving on so I could get some practice in. However, this plot bunny just wouldn't leave me and as my other story (good friends, good neighbours) is looking like it will be longer than I originally planned (I just keep adding chapter ideas to my plan as I think of more things I want to include) I figured I'd give this one a chance too- the two stories are not related and I will make a point to give both equal time so this story will not delay the other. Its set just before Harry is due to leave for the world cup in Goblet of Fire and covers a somewhat 'what if' scenario. The Idea behind it is simply this: we all hear various theories as to why the muggles never responded to Harry's abuse ranging from 'Dumbledore' to 'there just mean' to 'it's a book/film, police usually suck at their job'. I wanted to look at the angle of them intervening but doing so when Harry was already at Hogwarts since I like the idea of there actually being official stories for the muggle-born/half-blood kids to tell non-magical people which the Dursley's just never bothered to learn, resulting in a lot of confusion. Anyway, enough waffle: on with the story! (P.S. sorry for the long authors note-didn't feel it belonged in the summary)  
I don't own Harry Potter or anything other than any OC's I may mention.**

Harry Potter was different for a number of reasons. He had a rather unusual appearance with dark hair and vivid green eyes you'd swear were contacts if it weren't for the glasses he wore. He was quite small for his age, with his skinny frame suggesting a person who while not currently starving, had known both hunger and hard labour. Oh, and he was also a wizard.

Even that last one wasn't the strangest thing about him- after all, he wasn't alone in that aspect (ask his schoolmates; all of whom were witches and wizards). No, that came in the form of a thin lightning shaped scar. The only evidence that he survived the deadliest curse there was. That, he was alone in. Even his parents had fallen to it, leaving him where he was today: Number 4 Privet Drive. Home of his muggle (non-magic to 'normal' folks) aunt and uncle, as well as his cousin.

Now you would think having a boy in your house who could use magic would be considered impressive to most. Especially one who happened to be famous and who had already completed some incredible feats in is short life (such as fighting dark wizards, giant spiders, giant snakes, and werewolves, all while keeping on top of his homework… well mostly). However, in this household, that was not the case. The Dursley's loathed magic and as a result they felt likewise to Harry.

Instead the Dursley's felt compelled to 'squish the magic' out of him through chores, imprisonment, and the occasional beating. Basically- the Dursley's were cruel, but they got away with it because they had influence in the neighbourhood stemming from Vernon owning a well-off company giving them money and respect. So, if teachers noticed the boys clothing was miles too large, they believed it when told he simply couldn't be trusted with new one's as he'll ruins them, likewise it wasn't the Dursley's fault if he was too skinny to be healthy, for he wouldn't eat his dinner. And the list goes on. Whenever someone did raise concern they were often brushed off: what policemen in his right mind would mess with a family who supposedly had many political ties?

And so, the Dursley's got away with treating Harry poorly for years. Harry didn't mind so much anymore; he spent most of his year at school and now he was being trained in magic his relative's treatment of him had improved significantly.

However, it would all change when things came crashing down one summer morning.

Harry was locked in his room- being punished for something his cousin Dudley did (he wasn't sure what), when there was a knock on the door. For a moment he remembered the night of his 11th birthday when he met Hagrid, his first friend, for the first time, and how that knock on the door had turned his whole world upside down- completely unaware it was about to happen again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hope you like this chapter: I will say this now- I have no real knowledge of police procedure and apologise if I get some elements wrong or inaccurate. Please remember this is a work of fiction and cannot be used to truly represent the police.**

 **I own nothing that comes from the Harry Potter series of books or films.**

Petunia Dursley was in the kitchen when the knock came. She was surprised as it was too early for her husband to be home and Dudley was in his bedroom, but as it was she got up to answer the door (seeing as Harry wasn't able to). As soon as the door opened a swarm of police officers came rushing in, moving furniture, using dogs to sniff for things, taking samples of all sorts of items for seemingly no reason.

Petunia shrieked and demanded to know what the officers were doing in her home when she was pulled into the kitchen by a female officer who sat her down and started talking in a professional tone;

"Mrs Dursley, My name is Detective Stevenson, I work in the specialised drug unit in the Surry Police Force. I regret to inform you that your husband, Vernon Dursley, has been linked to numerous drug changes linked to his company and as a result we are obliged to search your house" with this the woman handed over a piece of paper which proved to be a warrant for the searches

Petunia could hardly believe her ears- drugs? Vernon? It's not possible. What would the neighbours think? She was sure this was a mistake, they wouldn't find anything of interest…

"Hey- Stevenson! I think you better see this!" a voice called from upstairs.

With that the detective turned and left the housewife in the kitchen, fuming and making silent threats that these people would be cleaning up the mess and repairing and damage or she'd take a frying pan to them!

Upstairs, the detective had just come to a door which, having studied the layout of the streets houses, she knew would lead to a room designed to be a small bedroom. The odd thing was what was on the door.

It had at least 5 locks and a catflap suitable for passing small animals or items into and out of the room without opening the door. Two of the locks were simple bolts anyone could undo but the others needed a key, fortunately, the keys were on a hook just outside the door.

Detective Stevenson was exited- this was it, her big break. She was sure this would be the store room for the drugs and once that door was open she would be able to put Vernon Dursley away for a long time, while simultaneously shutting down a major operation. At last- the late nights, the planning, the hard work, it would pay off she thought as she undid the last lock. She opened the door to find…

A boy.

A teenage boy- probably no older than 13.

Who on earth was he!

Upon hearing the commotion Harry had sat bolt upright, wondering what was going on. His first thought was one of his (many) enemies had come for him when he heard a voice down the hall in Dudley's room shouting police before saying something Harry couldn't quite make out.

Upon hearing who it was Harry made a point to stash his wand in his sock, feeling it may be a tad hard to explain, and wondered what Dudley had done to get such a response- his cousin usually stuck to beating up 10 year olds and vandalism as far as crime went, but the number of people he hard moving about indicated something much larger. Before he could decide what to do he heard a yell from outside his door  
"Hey- Stevenson! I think you better see this!"

That couldn't be a good sign.

He heard his door unlocking and voices murmuring behind it as well as something else, some kind of animal running around, a dog maybe?

Suddenly the door opened to reveal at least 5 police officers behind a woman holding the handle looking at him with a shocked expression while more officers continued to run around the house.

After a moment of silently staring at each other the woman finally spoke in an odd voice

"Who on earth are you?!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Who on Earth are you?"

Harry blinked at the question. Having just got back from a world where he couldn't seem to escape people who pointed and stared it was almost strange to have someone ask who he was, in a refreshing way. He looked at the woman cautiously, she was around his aunt's age- maybe slightly older, with a stern face that reminded him of Professor McGonagall, only her expression was slightly different- while stern she also had a mix of shock and disappointment. Like she had expected to win a treasure chest but instead found an artefact with an unknown value. Apparently he stayed silent too long as she suddenly repeated the question in a lounder voice. So he answered.

"My name is Harry Potter, I'm the nephew of Petunia Dursley. My mum was her sister, she died in a car crash." Harry wasn't sure why he stated the last part. His whole answer came out almost robotically, like a script he had practiced until it was an automatic response, though in a way it was- he used to say it when he was a child and now he knew the truth he made a point to remind himself what the muggle cover story was meant to be when in Privet Drive (especially after the Aunt Marge fiasco; he felt there may be some questions if any of the neighbours had seen something strange).

"I see" the woman replied, looking suspicious- Harry had a feeling she didn't believe him for some reason

"I don't see the family resemblance…" the woman continued

"I look like my dad" he cut in, almost defensively; something about being compared to the Dursley's made his skin crawl.

"Right" she nodded, looking at him like a gift offered by a stranger- part of you wants to take it, but another part doesn't trust it not to be hiding something dangerous. She stepped into the room looking around, scanning the bare walls, shoddy bed with thin sheets and mattress, the damaged desk and wardrobe, the empty bird cage, and the boy stood tensely in the middle of it. Harry was aware that the room was mostly bare now- it had once been full of his cousin's old junk like broken toys and unread books (which Harry had promptly read in the days spent locked up), but while he was at school his aunt had seen fit to clear it out for a jumble sale meaning practically all of it was binned or sold. He wasn't complaining, but it did make the room appear almost cell like.

The woman walked over to the window and saw the markings that had been left from where bars once stood, in their place was a sturdy bolt which could be padlocked, though his uncle had not done so recently as Hedwig used the window to come in and out- Harry had pointed out locking the window just meant she'd fly through the house which his aunt had refused to allow, so the window remained open.

Harry was feeling increasingly nervous with the womens inspection and police blocking the door, so he spoke again

"Why are you here? Am I in trouble?" He questioned, he didn't know why he would be, but also knew he was prone to being blamed for things he hadnt done.

The woman was once again studying Harry, taking in his skinny frame, too large clothes, and skin littered with small scars he had received over the years of chores and Harry hunting as well as from his adventures at school. Seeing the nervous look on his face sent an unexpected wave of protectiveness flowing through her. As she examined his face further she couldn't help noticing his eyes: they were amazing, almost unnatural in colour, like he was some kind of mystical creature. His eyes were extenuated by dark locks of hair that seemed to defy gravity to stick out the way it did. But upon looking at his hair she saw something else, something that made her sure this was bigger than she could imagine. Another scar. But unlike the others this was almost perfect, like it had been carved. It was thin, in the shape of a lightning bolt and sat just above his right eye. It didn't look natural. And then, it struck her, exactly what it reminded her of, something she had seen used when dealing with gangs.

A brand.

Suddenly, she came to a shocking conclusion: the locks, the room, the clothing, the lack of resemblance, the scars and brand, it all lead to an unpleasant conclusion. A conclusion that would explain why there were no record of a second boy living in the house. He wasn't meant to be there. He was a prisoner, a slave.

…

Detective Stevenson made up her mind on the spot, drugs or no drugs there was a crime scene here, she quickly turned to one of her supporting officers in the door and said in a quiet voice the boy couldn't hear to go radio for a social worker, and to get any information there was on one 'Harry Potter', before turning back to the boy to address his question.

"No son, you're not in trouble, at least- not with us" she said "My name is Detective Anna Stevenson, I work in the specialised drug unit for Surry Police. I'm here in relation to certain crimes linked to Vernon Dursley"

"My uncle? What has he got to do with drugs?" Harry asked, confused; surely Dumbledore wouldn't put a child in the care of a drug dealer?

"I'm afraid I'm not allowed to say any more for the time being" she said gently, almost like she was trying to comfort a scared animal. She was slightly confused by Harry's calm deminer, he wasn't asking for help, or making allegations of abuse, but- she also knew cases like these were often complex; littered with unknown backstories and unusual upbringings leaving bizarre priorities and values. To this boy whatever was going on was probably normal, he might even have Stockholm syndrome! She decided to question the boy further, try and get a statement without scaring him into silence- she hit the record button on a Dictaphone she carried for cases like these, keeping it hidden in her pocket

"So Harry, would you mind if I asked a few standard questions?" she began- trying to ease him in

"I guess not, would you like to sit down?" he responded carefully, gesturing between the bed and the chair by his desk. She took the chair so he sat on the bed.

This was good, Anna thought, he seems calm and cooperative, and by taking the chair (which looked rather uncomfortable, and when she sat down found it was) she allowed him to stay relatively comfortable himself by sticking to the softer bed. She started to question him further while taking out a notepad to write down what was said, while gesturing for the other officers to leave so as not to overcrowd the teen. She started with the basics, to try and establish who exactly he was:

"How old are you? Can you tell me your birthday?"

"I'm 14, July 31 1980" He responded. Harry didn't know much about police enquires but he was pretty sure that was a standard question, and started to relax

"What school do you go to?"

"St Brutus' Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys"

Detective Stevenson frowned slightly- she'd never heard of that place before. Odd- she'd have to look into it

"How long have you lived with the Dursley's?"

"About 14 years, I was sent to live here after my parents died"

"Do you mind if I ask how they died Harry?"

At this Harry paused, the official story for muggles had been a car crash (he was pretty sure he even said it before, but then again that wasn't an official interview so maybe she just wanted a chance to write it- she was noting down everything else he said), yet, if she tried to follow it up he wasn't sure if she'd find any records. Still, he'd said it before so may as well stick to it now.

"It was a car crash"

"And who told you that?" she pressed

"My Aunt and Uncle" Harry was slightly perplexed that she would feel a need to ask that

"Did they say who left you here?"

OK: now Harry was getting worried, he had no way to line up a story with his relatives to make sure he said the right thing, nor did he know what, if any records were being kept- he could hardly say it was wizards! Instead he stuck to the truth using watered down facts:

"They don't like to talk about it, just that I was left with them with a letter explaining what happened" Harry had decided to leave the 'dumped on the doorstep' part out as he was pretty sure that wasn't 100% legal.

"Do they still have the letter? Have you seen it?"

Harry felt they were getting a tad off track; what did any of this have to do with drugs? Still, he knew it was better to cooperate with them so he continued (besides, he wouldn't put it past Dumbledore or the ministry to set any mistakes he made by accident straight)

"I don't know, and no, do you mind if I ask what this has to do with drugs?"

"Nothing" he was assured "it's just important I know each residents basic background and relation to any suspects to build a proper profile, for some reason I wasn't informed of your residence here so I need to cover my basis. You understand right?" she said with a smile

"I guess that makes sense" Harry said to himself more than to her, but she looked pleased all the same.

"Good. In that case I just have a few more questions if you'll bear with me. Is this the only room you've had?"

"Yes" again- technically true as Harry doubted the cupboard under the stairs counted

"And are you receiving or have you received any support regarding your parent's deaths?"

"I'm sorry but I'm not sure I understand, support how?" Harry was playing for time while he thought of what to say other than- 'my dad's two best friends who are a convicted criminal and werewolf I met last year'

"That's OK dear, I just mean did you ever have a social worker, or arranged visits with a counsellor to talk about it and check on how you're doing?"

"No- nothing official like a social worker, my aunt and uncle don't like talking about them"  
"I see, and is it your aunt or uncle you share blood with?"

"My mother was my aunt's sister"

Just as Harry was starting to think he was doing ok he was asked something that made him freeze

"Are you often locked up in here?"

"Umm, no?" his reply unintentionally sounded more like a question

"Are you sure, I won't tell your relatives what you say" she pressed, knowing she was hitting a sensitive spot and wanting to make sure he felt safe enough to talk

"Yes" he said strongly, trying to compensate "it's a very rarely used punishment"

"What are you being punished for?" Damn- now he wished he'd asked, than again he'd then be punished for asking questions

"I just broke a few rules, you know, getting dirty, boke a few good plates by accident, stayed out too late, the usual stuff that gets kids my age in trouble" Harry stated trying to sound nonchalant, he guessed those things would count for a punishment, right? The problem was Dudley was never punished and he was punished for stuff even he knew was crazy- Harry had never been sure where the inbetween was.

"I see, do you get punished a lot?"

"When I break rules or don't finish my chores"

"And what's a normal punishment?"

'What's with this lady and punishment? Harry wondered

"Just the usual, no dinner, extra chores, that kind of thing"

"Is it ever physical?"

"What?" Harry was worrying again

"Have you ever been struck as a punishment?"

"I think that would depend on the point of view" in the past Harry had complained to teachers about the beatings, and one or two had claimed to have reported it to higher ups, but it had never gone anywhere. Thanks to that Harry didn't think he'd get away with saying no, the honest part of him didn't even want to- 'let them be the ones punished for once- they deserve it' it yelled, but then again, another part of him couldn't bring itself to say yes for some reason.

It was at that moment another police officer (a man this time) came in and whispered in Detective Stevenson's ear that the social worker was here. She decided to let the specialists handle the rest, in the mean time she had to give to go ahead to arrest both Vernon and Petunia Dursley for child abuse, while also getting forensics to look at the room- she wanted to know if there were any signs of violence.

"Harry, as I need to finish up with the search, and I can't legally leave you here until we have proof of guardianship, would you mind coming downstairs with me to speak to someone while I try and get things sorted out here?" she asked, standing up. Harry suspected despite the question he wasn't getting a say in this- he just hoped his aunt still had that letter!

 **Authors note: Please note that just like I am no expert on police, I am also no expert on modern slavery, though I do know it exists and is a real problem that must stop. Just understand that this is a work of fiction and therefore any inaccuracies (while I will try to keep them to a minimum) are for the sake of the story or unintentional, and I mean no offence regarding this topic, or any other which I know can be sensitive subjects for some. Thank you.**

 **Sorry that theirs lots of dialogue- I felt an interview would be the most realistic way the detective would approach the situation as they usually start with collecting statements (I know that much)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey: sorry for the wait, I've been meaning to update but life got in the way so haven't done much writing. Also, for some reason despite having a ton of ideas for this story I'm actually struggling to put them to paper (well, screen) so please let me know how you think this chapter turned out.**

It was official, today had finally made it into his 'top 10 craziest day's' list (and considering the life he's had that's saying something).

He had been sat in the living room with a social worker who kept offering him things like tea and biscuits, and an officer even tried putting a shock blanket on him (which Harry ducked- oddly, rather than looking annoyed the officer just looked sad). In the meantime Harry's aunt was once again screaming up a storm. While the officers tried to calm her down Harry, who was so used to her yelling he could understand her incoherent shill quite well, gathered one vital detail: she had burnt the letter and had no official form of ID for Harry. Something told Harry that would not end well.

After about 5 minutes of Petunia yelling, police running around, Dudley moaning that he was hungry, and the social worker trying to speak to Harry (though she was mostly just throwing comforting words at him for some reason telling him he was safe now), another sheep was added to the crazy flock that was today. An officer came down with a large evidence bag of white powder, another with a gun, and a third that seemed to contain roll upon roll of cash, £50 pound notes rolled up into tight tube shaped bundles, each a few centimetres thick. Harry couldn't help but smile as one of the drug dogs who had previously been checking behind the TV went running over to the officer to check the bag. He went to pat its head (well, it had found something even if someone beat him to it) but the social worker pulled his hand away saying he couldn't touch. Harry was starting to get a bit annoyed with how she acted like he was something between a child and a fragile piece of glass on the point of cracking.

Stevenson looked pleased, she had said she was a drug specialist so Harry guessed that made sense; they were probably what she had hoped to find.

According to the officer they were found in a hidden pouch inside the mattress in his aunt and uncles room. This would be interesting, Harry wondered how Dumbledore would react when he found out.

…

Detective Stevenson was having an incredible day. She had spent so long trawling through case files, collecting research, and stuck doing everything from interviews to desk work to crime scene analysis, and now: it had all payed off.

Vernon Dursley was caught- she was sure the powder would be shown as the new drug that had recently hit the street: ten times stronger than heroin and even more addictive. Just a small amount could cause someone to OD and because of that there had been over 50 deaths and even more hospitalisations linked to the substance. The street names included things like 'feather light', 'white flight', and 'wacky lightning'. The first two were linked to the colour of the pure powder (though it was rarely sold pure- allowing it to be any colour really) as well as the light headed feeling combined with increased energy which often lead to a weightless sensation. She had no clue why the other nickname had occurred (maybe the energised feeling again?), but then there were many more names several of which making even less sense.

To top it off- finding this kid meant she could keep Dursley on those charges while she gathered evidence to dismantle his drug ring without the risk of him running off. Who knows: maybe the kid even knew something.

Then it struck her: maybe the kid knew something! He was locked up and a quick call to the people currently running his background showed no evidence of schooling beyond primary; St Brutus wasn't real! What if he was a worker! Someone who was linked to the drug ring, or maybe his parents were and he was a hostage! It would explain the lightning shaped brand- whacky lightning being a nickname, maybe it was a form of gang marker, or a punishment. But what about his story- he had seemed so confused by the police presence and nothing about his demeanour suggested he was in a gang.

She turned to the boy who was watching the dogs sniffing around still when a thought struck her.

"How did you say you were related to the Dursley's?" she asked him.

Harry looked at her, he was sure he'd said at least twice.

"My mother was my Aunts sister" he stated simply.

"Would you mind if I took a DNA sample from you?" the detective pressed- she needed to know if they really were related.

Harry though for a moment- but they were muggles so it's not like they could do much with his hair. He pulled a few strand out and held them out for her to take.

"What are you doing?" she asked a little shocked- that had to have hurt!

"You wanted some DNA- there's DNA in hair roots right?" he responded

"Well yes but that's not what I meant dear, we take DNA through cheek swabs usually" though the detective still took the hair and wrapped it in a tissue before putting it in an evidence bag- simply because she wasn't sure what to do with them (she guessed she'd have them tested for drugs to see if he was a user, maybe that's how he came to be here, or was kept here).

Harry agreed and a swab was taken, than one was taken from Petunia using the ground that she currently had no evidence that Harry was meant to be there to gain permission. That just left the question of what they were going to do with Harry in the meantime. They couldn't leave him here as he was a potential victim, not did the detective want him in a foster home where someone could gain access. In the end she decided she would do a more official approach and start with taking him to the station to gather an official statement, take finger prints (they were doing the whole family to help establish who had/hadn't touched the evidence), and see what to do with him. She turned to him once more.

"OK Harry- as I'm sure you guessed, we can't legally leave you here for now. So what we're going to do is bring you to the station to take statements, get some evidence to help identify you such as finger prints and get this whole thing sorted. Is that alright?"

Harry nodded, once again feeling the 'choice' was rhetorical.

The woman then added

"You can request a responsible adult is present for all this if you have anyone you would like to call" she doubted he would so was surprised when after thinking for a moment he nodded.

'Finally!' Harry thought 'some luck- all I need is to contact Dumbledore and he'll be able to help sort this out!' He nodded. Than another thought struck him- Hedwig was still away! How would he contact the headmaster, then again, how would he explain sending an owl rather than calling by phone! Giving when she left Harry guessed his owl would be at the Weasley's by now with his response to the invite to the world cup. 'That's it! He knew who to call, someone who worked at the ministry so knew the processes, but was also a (sort of) expert on muggles!'

"Who would you like to phone?" Stevenson questioned

"Arther Weasley"

 **Sorry for the shorter chapter. Thing will definitely start to get better now (I hope). I'll try and update asap!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey there, I'm back! Sorry for the delay (life caught up again and things got a bit hectic).**

 **Reading back I'm not very happy with this story so far but I promise it will pick up in the upcoming chapters (so far it's been getting the situation before the excitement kicks in) so sorry not much has happened yet (I'm sure some of you are wondering when Dumbledore will be making an appearance and it should be the next chapter). Anyway, I won't keep you waiting any more: on with the story (as usual- please let me know what you think, constructive criticism welcome)**

Arther Weasley was sat in the kitchen having a cup of tea. He had just gotten back from work at the ministry and was hoping to relax before the chaos that would come with preparing for the trip to the world cup. As he read the latest version of the Daily Prophet an article caught his eye, it was one of Reta Skeeters talking about some conspiracy behind the game of quidditch. He rolled his eyes. Way too many people took her articles too seriously and Arther couldn't help feeling it was potentially dangerous for her to spread these rumours (though not as dangerous as having so many people believe them). Thinking about the reporter and the world cup a thought suddenly struck him: Harry was coming, and Skeeter would probably be sniffing about for stories. In the end he shrugged it off: the good thing about quidditch is that so much happens he doubts Harry will catch her interest.

Almost as if summoned by his thoughts Hedwig appeared at the window with a letter. He called Ron down who quickly snatched it up and opened it

"Harry said yes- I knew he would but I think we can be sure the muggles won't put up too much fuss! I'll send a reply and get back to packing!" Ron said before dashing back upstairs

Arther smiled at his sons antics.

The cup was still a few weeks away but ever since Ron had learnt they had tickets he'd been bouncing off the walls, then again, all his kids had. He hoped Ron's friends would enjoy it too, he knew Harry would: quidditch was in that boy's blood, but from what he heard Hermione wasn't as keen. However, wizards were to her what muggles were to him- fascinating, so he was sure shed use it as a chance to learn if nothing else.

Just as Arther was getting back to his food he heard a strange sound coming from the other room, like some kind of bell trilling. Curious he got up to investigate, wondering what the twins had done now. But it wasn't the twins.

In the corner was an odd contraption making the noise. It was plugged into one of those muggle electricity makers (what was it called again? Geneetaor? Janiator?) and looked like a box with buttons with a stick attached to a wire sitting on top. He remembered it was called something like a fellytone: a muggle communication device which Ron had brought in to allow him to contact Harry, though the attempt had gone poorly as his son had shouted down the mouthpiece, which it turned out was not the technique and rather annoyed Harry's uncle. As it was, the contraption was chiming away and Arther was fairly certain that meant a communication was coming in. he picked up the stick to try and figure out what to do next (he'd have to get Hermione or Harry to talk him through these things next chance he got) when he heard a voice coming from inside. Harry's voice.

Curious he pressed the stick to his ear and listened.

"Hello? Is anyone their? Hello?" Harry was saying. Arther decided to give it a try.

"Harry? Is that you?" He said very slowly and clearly (making a point not to shout)

"Mr Weasley? Is that you?" came Harry's reply. He sounded nervous- than again, he was stuck inside a stick.

"It's me, are you ok? Shall I get Ron for you?" Arther replied, speaking a little more casually- Harry seemed to be speaking fairly normally so he figured that he should give it a try.

"Umm, I'm fine, but don't get Ron just yet: I actually called to talk to you" Odd. Why did he want to speak to him? As much as he hated it, Arther really didn't know the boy very well. Maybe it was about the cup? Harry still sounded nervous but showed no other sign of distress.

"That's OK- is it about the trip?" Arther asked

"Not exactly- I need you to come to Surry Police Station please. I'm in an odd situation. I don't think I can explain it all over the phone but my Uncle is in trouble and I need a responsible adult: it's something to do with my being at the Dursley's but I'm not getting many straight answers from the police right now"

Arther thought- Police? He suddenly realised that Harry was talking about the Please-Men, the muggle equivalent of Auror's. Another thought then struck him- Harry was calling him for help! While he was worried about the boy a small part was thrilled that of all people, Harry had chosen him to finally reach out to after years of seemingly never asking the grown-ups for help (even when he really should have like the scenarios at school and people trying to murder him). Maybe it was because Arther had treated him like a grown up and tried to warn him with the Sirius Black incident rather than keep him sheltered. He knew that was a good idea! He quickly turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

"That's fine Harry, I'll be right there and we'll get this all sorted"

"Thanks Mr Weasley, I'll see you soon- We'll probably arrive at the station in about 10 minutes. Bye" the phone cut off at that point.

'10 minutes' Arther thought, he better get there after or it may look suspicious. To arrive immediately when Surry was over three hours away for a muggle would definitely raise some questions. Arther decided to leave it 15 minutes and say he was in the area when Harry called, after all, he didn't want to keep the boy waiting. He meant what he said, he would do everything he could to help Harry get the problem solved. That way the boy can realise he doesn't need to do everything himself- Molly will be so pleased, she's always saying they should do more to provide parental figures in Harry's life.

As Molly was currently out getting some supplies for the cup with Ginny, Fred and George were who knows where, and Percy was visiting Penelope, Arther decided to leave a message with Ron to let Molly know where he was in case she got back before him. Picking up his bag he called his son back downstairs.

"Ron- Harry just called on the muggle thing" he gestured to the phone "he said he needs help, something about his uncle, I'm just heading down to check on him"

Ron's reaction surprised Arther who had expected Ron to be more upset that he hadn't had a chance to talk to his friend. Instead Ron looked worried and started shooting off questions like bullets.

"Is he ok? Where is he now? He's not hurt is he? What happened? Is his Uncle still there?"

Arther held up a hand to quiet his son

"He's fine, he just needs some advice I think- it sounds like it's his Uncle who's in trouble more than Harry" Arther soothed, slightly concerned by his sons reaction. He made a mental note to question him later. This seemed to calm his son enough that Arther felt he could leave and deal with Ron when he got back.

"Your mother should be home within half an hour, please tell her where I am if I'm not back by then. I'll let you know what's going on as soon as I get a chance" Arther said.

"I should come with you!" Ron demanded "He's my friend!"

"I'd rather figure out what's going on first" Arther replied "It sounds like theres some kind of muggle law enforcement there and I don't know if they let you bring your kids to their office. Once I get things sorted I'll see if I can bring Harry back with me for dinner or maybe bring you round- we'll have to see"

Ron sighed but nodded- part of him wanted to protest being left behind, but he also wanted his dad to get Harry fast, it wasn't often his friend actually asked for help and Ron was worried: he'd seen what his friend's uncle had done after their first year.

With that, Arther apparated away.

…

Back at the police station, Harry had just been brought into a waiting room to await the next step of, whatever was going on.

He had already had his fingerprints taken and the social worker had gone to get some more coffee. Harry was glad she was gone for a while, she was starting to remind him of how Lavender and Parvati had started talking to him as if he was on his deathbed after their divination lessons, and while he knew she meant well, it was still annoying.

It was at that moment an officer came in with Mr Weasley following closely behind.

"Mr Potter" the officer called to Harry "a Mr Weasley is here, he said you called him?"

"Yeah: he's my, responsible adult" Harry said. However looking at Mr Weasley now he was starting to wonder if this was his best idea. After all, while he loved muggles, Mr Weasley did have a tendency to get a touch enthusiastic when meeting them, and right now he was eyeing the equipment on the officers belt with intense curiosity looking like he was about to grab the officers handcuffs. Harry decided to pull him over before the man gave into the urge- doubting it would end well.

"So, Mr Weasley, I'll just catch you up on what's happening. I guess they'll want to speak to us soon" Harry said, subtly pulling Arther to the seats. With that the two were left alone.

"What are those metal rings on the man's belt?" Arther asked quickly, momentarily distracted.

"Handcuffs, there a restraining device used by police to hold criminals arms still" Harry responded "did they tell you anything about what's going on?"

Snapping back to attention Arther remembered his aim: help Harry get out of whatever trouble he's in. He could ask about the muggle doohickeys later.

"Not much: they wanted you to confirm who I was first, all I know is there is an issue with your family situation, and you said your uncle was in trouble right?" Arther responded, trying to keep a calm yet confident tone, though he was still rather exited, and a little nervous. Luckily Harry was quick to explain"

"From what I've gathered so far: it's linked to the drill business he works with, apparently it has links to illegal drugs!" Harry still couldn't get his head round it (to think Vernon said Harry was a smear on the family name! Hypocrite!) "they searched the house and found some of the stuff, I overhead something about a tip off which lead to documents being found in his office linked to it all, I think it escalated from there"

"I see" Replied Arther thoughtfully "so why did they bring you here?"

Harry sighed, looking slightly resigned

"Because apparently they weren't expecting to find me there; apparently my aunt and uncle have no proof I'm meant to be living with them. To be honest I think this is all just a precaution but I'm getting worried, they keep asking about topics like my parents and school"

Arther immediately recognised the issue: if Harry's relative didn't have the documents they probably had no muggle form of ID for Harry (if it was the magical world that wouldn't be an issue- just pick up an old newspaper or modern history book). Arther also had a sinking feeling Harry hadn't been sticking to the official story

"Right, first thing's first: What have you told them so far?"

"I've pretty much kept to the truth mixed with the story the Dursley's always used: my age, birthday, that my mum and Petunia were sisters- there doing a test to confirm that, my parent's died when I was 1, I go to St Brutus' Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys…"  
"Wait, What!" Arther interrupted, Harry shifted uncomfortably and Arther wanted to slap himself

"It's the story my Uncle came up with to explain where I go, I think he made it up for my Aunt Marge, remember her?" Harry said cautiously, Arther nodded, he had heard rather a lot about the balloon fiasco, though he wasn't 100% sure what triggered Harry's magic to go off like that, he was jarred from his thoughts when Harry continued

"I didn't know what the official story was, or even if there is one, so I stuck with that. They also asked who left me with the Dursley's but I just told them they didn't tell me as they don't like talking about it and I was left with them with a letter, which my Aunt has apparently got rid of"

Arther didn't like where this was heading: What were those people thinking telling Harry to say all that rubbish! They would have been informed of the official covers, now they had muggle authorities following stores with no evidence! It was official, Harry thinking to call him was the best move that could have been made, even if the part of forming a bond that lead to Harry having a more comfortable association with authorities didn't work out, this whole thing was a mess!

He had to think quickly, now he was here he was sure they were being watched by some form of surveillance (even if it wasn't magical, he had no idea what these muggles used or how effective it was) so going to the ministry wasn't an option just yet. He would just have to think of something to cover it up! He turned to Harry

"OK, you did the right thing calling me here" figuring that starting with praise often helped set his own children at ease in successful situations "There is an official story and I don't know why your uncle decided to go against it so a few questions, first: do you know if this St. Brutus place is a real school or something he made up? Second: Exactly how much have you said about school and how you were left with the Dursley's? Third: have they asked anything else or do questions seem to centre on a specific topic? No detail is too small here"

Harry thought for a moment not wanting to forget anything, yet some of the questions were on topics he really didn't want to discuss with Mr Weasley… than again its better Harry say them now than the police tell him, the cats pretty much out the bag so Harry may as well salvage what he could

"First: I have no idea, honestly it never even occurred to me to check, second: not much about school, just the name, and just the basics with home: how long I've lived there, how I'm related, etc. There were some odd questions like if the room I was in had always been mine, I think she was put off since I hadn't really unpacked from school so it's kind of bland. She did ask some questions like if I had a social worker, a person who works with troubled kids- I don't know what the wizarding equivalent is. As for the last one… she did seem curious about discipline in the household, I think it's because my room was locked when they showed up"

Arther was confused by that last part

"They had an issue that you lock your door?"

"Not exactly, I think the issue was it was my uncle who locked it: he thinks I'll sneak out if he sends me to my room and doesn't but he doesn't do it often" Harry covered, nothing was an outright lie; it was just a little watered down. Still, Arther frowned so Harry wanted to change the subject "What's the official story?"

Arther caught the move but decided to allow it; he wanted time to ponder the implications of what Harry was saying. Besides, the boy did need to know and he didn't know how long they had

"Hogwarts is an elite private school based in Scotland which is not open for applicants, all students will have a family tie within the school or fall into a specific category. The basic reasoning is it's designed for children whose parents or family members work for a company linked to sensitive government material or who live with families who are vulnerable to attacks, kidnapping etc. Hence the security. There's also an official story for your parents which actually ties in quite nicely which will come to light if any muggle does research on you: your father was an intelligence officer and your mother a sort of negotiator for high up political situations between governments. They were killed when a bomb went off in an attack on the office" He explained, though now he thought about it… it did seem farfetched.

"Wow. That makes it sound like some kind of spy school, though I do prefer that story about my parents" he thought for a moment before an idea came to him "couldn't we just say the extra security is why the story doesn't match? I can claim I said what I've been told to say as the men who carried out the attack are still out there and my identity needed protection just in case? Could that work? The muggles know about Sirius as he was on the news and the Ministry still think he's guilty so they probably do too" He hated to use Sirius like this but the situation was desperate, he would make sure the muggles were informed once the Ministry cleared Sirius!

Arther pondered the idea, it was risky, but honestly he didn't have anything better, though he wasn't sure how he felt that harry still appeared to be under the impression Black was innocent.

"I think right now it's our best bet, I can claim to be a worker at the company, not technically a lie as I work for the ministry, and as soon as the interviews over I can use that as a way to get them to let me bring you back to the Burrow."

Before they had a chance to discuss it further they were called into the interview room.

Unfortunately, neither of them noticed a brightly coloured beetle sitting in the corner of the room, the same bug that was the animagus form of a very problematic reporter.

 **Note: at this moment Mr and Mrs Weasley are still under the impression Sirius is guilty and he trio were confounded- thanks to Snape's claim**


	6. Chapter 6

**I would like to start by saying Thank You for all your lovely reviews, they really encourage me to keep writing and I am so sorry this has taken so long.**

 **I have since gone through this story and fixed some issues I noticed (and a few which were pointed out to me by you). Nothing has really changed in the story but feel free to go back if you previously noticed any errors that bothered you and let me know if I missed any** **J**

 **Please remember I still have limited knowledge on the official procedures when dealing with crime and I know a lot of this research and tests take a while, but for the sake of the story I'm speeding up a few things or it will get very boring very quickly! That said the story won't be continuing with the line of following the legal process much longer (I don't want to give the plot away, and the drugs ring and police will continue as a plot line, it's just this story is more about Harry and his relations with friends/family and the upcoming adventure than what Vernon does at work)**

 **Anyway: I won't keep you waiting, on with the story**

 **As usual, I own nothing but a laptop (and even that was once my mums)**

Rita Skeeter was amazed! What had started as a simple trick was fast becoming the scoop of the century!

A few months back she had realised news was getting slower and slower, true the world cup should generate something but she also knew almost every reporter in the wizarding world would be covering that, she needed something fresh!

To make things worse she was facing constant threats of being sued for being liberal with her creative licence. What she needed was a big story that was not only sensational, but true. Well, true enough that she can easily defend herself and increase her credibility. While she had been pondering she had eyed an old wanted poster for Sirius Black. She had practically begged Dumbledore to let her interview Harry Potter on his thoughts on the matter, but the old man was fiercely protective of the boy and was yet to let her near for any reason, and she had been trying a lot.

The problem was she wasn't allowed to look for stories in muggle areas due to the secrecy act unless there was a valid reason to suspect something was happening that would be of interest to the wizarding world, and since Harry potter was almost always in either Hogwarts or with his muggle relatives, he was practically untouchable. That was when it hit her… all she needed was a reason to suspect there was an issue.

After a little research and a casual period watching the house from the garden (in her other form and during the school year so as not to raise any alarms) she found that the boys aunt was a housewife- nothing there, his cousin went to boarding school- potential but not much, and his Uncle worked for a large company, and was very high up in it too. Now that she could work with: nothing said news like a scandal, and these big companies were teeming with it!

All it took was a quick anonymous tip-off to muggle authorities that the business was dirty, and they would do the rest!

She had hoped for a quick, juicy story. Instead, while they did search the office, the action was almost non-existent (at least from what she saw). They had seized some documents but nothing of major interest, until they were analysed. Suddenly there was a task force being put together. It seemed they were doing things carefully, hoping to catch someone out. Rita could tell that whatever they found was big and from what she heard Vernon Dursley was right in the centre of it! Whatever was happening, it was the huge story she wanted, it may not be unfolding quickly but when it finally did she'd be ready. She could wait.

…

Now, months later, the muggles had struck! Rita had taken to spying on the house between her smaller stories, she had told no-one what she was working on, just a big exposé.

When it finally came through though, it was even better than she could have imagined! Drugs, Harry Potter locked up, questions over his life with his 'family'… and did she smell signs of abuse? Rita was thrilled! The hope of the wizarding world, Dumbledore's precious golden boy: unsafe in his own home! Now if that wasn't a justified story she didn't know what was!

The reporter had entered the house during the raid and heard the whole interview, now why would the boy have used such a different and more negative story than the one he was meant to. Without hesitating she hitched a ride on one of the police hats and watched as Harry Potter and Arther Weasley tried to figure out a way to fix this.

She watched as the second interview started, beginning with the basics: names, dates of births etc.

It wasn't long before things got good…

…

Detective Stevenson was back. She looked at the man in front of her suspiciously. He was dressed in an outdated suit and seemed to be eyeing the voice recorder with an odd curiosity, as if he had never seen one before.

They had already covered the basics, she really wanted to know more about this man, but she also knew she needed to be careful about it. She started simple:

"So Mr Weasley, would you mind telling me for the record how you know Harry Potter?"

The man answered confidently, like he was used to interview situations, yet she could tell he was nervous, like he was used to questioning more than answering

"My youngest son is his friend"

"And how many children do you have?"

"Seven, six boys and the youngest is a girl"

'Blimey' she thought, did this man and his wife have nothing better to do? The next question was to Harry

"And how did you two meet?"

"At school"

"You mean St. Brutus?" she probed- now would be the moment of truth, she knew there was no such place, if the man backed Harry up he could well be in on this too!

But then, Arther spoke up, doing a good job of acting surprised

"What do you mean? I've never heard of that place" he directed the last part at Harry with a subtle wink with the eye away from the detective. Harry caught on immediately

"I just stuck with the story" He said defensively

"Harry, the story is for civilians, not the police!"

Detective Stevenson cut in

"You mean you didn't tell the truth?" she probed. Harry shifted uncomfortably

"Well not about school or how my parents died. Theres a lot of security issues so I didn't think I was allowed"

Arther was impressed by Harry's acting, he just hoped the next part worked

"Harry goes to Hogwarts Academy" he stated simply. Stevenson immediately knew the officer watching the monitor would be researching this new place while listening. Arther continued

"It's a slightly out of the norm school, in that it's designed for high risk children, Harry goes because his place was booked early thanks to his parents, my children go due to my job"

"And what job is that? And how are his parents linked?" The detectives head was spinning, this was becoming even crazier than she had anticipated!

At this point Arther whipped out a badge he had from the ministry, due to his job Arther often had to be in odd places or confiscate items from muggles. The ministry of Magic had a specially designed sector that worked with the muggle government which basically worked to keep the existence of magic a secret, any ministry workers who would regularly have come into contact with muggles as part of the job received a badge that stated they were part of an organisation similar to MI5 or MI6, and depending on the job it would state a different department. Arther didn't know the full details (they were far too complex for anyone to keep track of and often changed: the employees just kept up to date with their own story and left the rest to the ministry unless needed), just what he'd been told to say in situations like this.

"I work with a department in identifying and confiscating dangerous items and substances to help prevent attacks from organised crime such as mafia groups. Unfortunately, while my job is mostly office based, it does mean my co-workers and I make some unpleasant enemies. Harry's parents on the other hand, were specialists. His father was a high up intelligence officer and his mother a sort of negotiator. They were both killed when Harry was a baby when information was leaked revealing a number of identities for people in the department they worked for and an attack took place on their office. Harry was signed up for the academy at birth and it was decided it would be best for him to attend despite his parent's tragic loss, at least until all the perpetrators are caught, you might have heard of one of them: Sirius Black"

Detective Stevenson was shocked. That was… unexpected. It almost seemed ridiculous. But again, it was almost so farfetched that it almost had to be true. She needed to check. Her co-workers would be in the next room with at least one person doing immediate follow up on computers, trying to fact check what was said. She decided she couldn't proceed without some more information. She picked up the ID on the table and made a note of the details

"If you two don't mind, I think we need a short break while I quickly verify this"

"Of course, shall we wait here" Arther said, glad for the respite

…

Once the woman had left they both took a deep breath. It was hard to tell of she was buying the story, but hopefully once she confirmed the department, she would. Arther turned to Harry

"OK, when she comes back I want to ask her about your uncle and exactly what her problem is with you living at number 4"

Harry nodded, he didn't know it but his thoughts on this cover were almost identical to the detectives: the story was insane enough that it just might work!

They sat quietly, not wanting to be caught out saying anything suspicious, Harry hade made sure Arther was aware they were being watched by making point at waving at the camera, when asked what he was doing he mentioned spotting the surveillance device and Arther caught on immediately

…

Detective Stevenson was shocked. As impossible as it seemed, the story matched up!

The school, the parent's, the jobs… even Sirius Black!

It turns out that when this Arther Weasley arrived they had immediately started to run the ID, and it hadn't taken long to check out. The same with this school and the people he worked for, a quick check provided conformation that nothing in the story was out of place. Even the speed at which it was confirmed was remarkable!

There weren't many details in regards to the company or school (it seemed to be locked behind a level of security that outranked her), and while there was very little on Harry's parents the death report had been found to confirm with what the man said, right down to their names being under a list of Sirius Blacks victims. As far as she could tell though, it was all legitimate: which meant Harry living with the Dursley's was probably also a match. She was also now sure the DNA would match.

This was a disaster! She had spent so long working to get a warrant to search this house, it was going to make her career! But with all this security surrounding the strange boy she had no idea what could happen: for all she knew this whole thing would have to be covered up to protect him, and if the reason he was there was valid and he didn't want to press charges everything could settle without the major issues being solved!

But then again, this case wasn't over yet-there were still questions that needed answering. How could an organisation and school so security conscious just leave one of their kids with a family with ties to an illegal operation? Did they not know? If not, how? And why didn't they ever check up on the boy when he was clearly not well cared for?

Besides, the question of why he was there may have a valid reason, but that didn't change what she saw: there was no denying that this boy was not safe or welcome in that home. The first thing she needed to do is see if there was anyone else who could take him, if not- she'd have to consider placing him into foster care. As she had found Harry and he had strong links to her suspects, she felt she should be responsible for him until he was no longer at risk from the Dursley family or their associates.

She wondered if he could stay at his school, after all, it was a boarding school so maybe they were set to take students over the summer. Or if the boy had grandparents… no- his record showed no other living relatives and the legal guardian named by his parents turned out to be Black (this boy seemed to have the worst luck she'd ever seen for his godfather to have turned out to be some kind of traitor!)

Maybe this other fellow could take him in for a while- it seemed he'd had several background chacks and held a high security level, but then she didn't exactly trust him; something just seemed strange!

In the end she decided to call her boss and ask for advice only to be told to send they boy back with the Weasley fellow, mostly because they lived relatively far away so Harry should be safe their permanent decision was made as to whether he could be returned to his aunt- the boys cousin had been sent to stay with some friends as well while they checked out Petunia Dursley)

With that she decided to go in and finish up with the odd pair (and why was the boy waving at the monitor!)

…

As the woman re-entered the room she looked a lot more resolved, Arther and Harry could only hope was a good sign. She sat back down and once again started the recording

"I have verified your details" she started, returning the badge, and Arther got the feeling she wasn't just referring to his job "and their doesn't seem to be a reason to keep you much longer for now, I just need to ask a few more questions but first we need to talk about where you're going to stay"

"I can help there" Arther interjected quickly "Harry was meant to be visiting for a couple of weeks anyway and as I have a background check I'll happily take him until we can get this whole mess sorted"

Eyeing Mr Weasley suspiciously she knew she had no choice in the matter

"Yes, well I'm glad you volunteered, my boss did think it would be worth asking"

"Will I be allowed to get my stuff?" Harry asked, he didn't want them finding his school stuff or cloak while sniffing around. Luckily the police had missed his hidden floorboard and they had previously been working on concealment charms at school which Hermione had insisted on practicing on all his stuff when she had run out of her own- as long as no one looked too closely at his trunk or books they wouldn't see anything to catch their interest, however that didn't mean he wanted to chance it.

Stevenson thought for a second but knew they had already searched the boy's room and taken samples where needed as well as plenty of photographs. His only recorded possessions seemed to mostly reside in a trunk which held mostly books and overlarge clothing, also photographed, and decided Harry would probably need his cloths at least. She nodded yes and Harry looked relieved.

With that the three promptly made plans for Harry to fetch his stuff and be on his way with Arther (who claimed they would be taking the train- it was that day Harry learnt an important life lesson: Don't eat and operate; it ends in a mess!)

…

…

…

In all the commotion there was one man who you would think would know something was up. Unfortunately, what with helping set up the tournament, prepare for the upcoming guests in Hogwarts, and his usual responsibilities Dumbledore was rather surprised the next morning when he saw the headline of the Daily Prophet: 

"HARRY POTTER: SAVIOUR OR VICTIM?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello again! Thank you so much for your reviews, they really do help with my writing :)**

 **Speaking of reviews- I have installed another Spell-check programme on my laptop and still trying to get it to understand a few words (it's good but had the habit of changing words without letting me know- great for flow, a pain when it replaces a word with the wrong one!). If you see anything that doesn't make sense or is miss-spelt, please let me know!**

 **As usual I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I benefit financially from this story.**

 **Sorry for the wait: I've been away for a week and things have been hectic getting ready for it! But I'm back now (I actually wrote Petunias part before I left but wanted to post a full chapter).**

 **Hope you like it!**

Petunia Dursley was angry.

No.

Anger doesn't cover what she felt.

She was burning with a strange mixture of betrayal, lividity, hatred, pain, and something she couldn't identify.

They swirled in her stomach and burrowed outward like needles. Sentient and burning, burrowing their way through every vein, crawling from every pore, numbing her mind and tearing at her heart.

She thought over the day, how the door had been forced open by those brutes, how the boy had been papered by them like a piece of cherished china, how she had burned from shame as she spotted the neighbours peering over at her house! Her home!

That home was her pride and joy- she spent almost all her time there, moulding her life into the shape she wanted, the kind of shape she had spent her whole life trying to achieve, and now, it was falling apart.

She knew the second she saw the bag it was true: Vernon had gotten himself into the wrong sort of business.

She couldn't lose him; he was her provider, in more ways than one. He provided her with money- yes, but more than that he provided stability, he'd provided her a son and supported that son in ways her own father never had. Her father had never shown the love and care to her that Vernon had to her son! He'd been too busy fawning over Lily!

If she lost Vernon not only would she lose his love and support, they may take anything they claim was bought with the money from his 'extra job'. That could be anything from the car, to the house, to Dudley's computer!

Yes: she had realised a while ago that while Vernon practically owned his company, the money he had did not match what he made. Years ago when Dudley was just 7 the business had been on the point of bankrupt. Then just a few weeks before they were set to go under there was a miracle. An unnamed investor whose money pulled the company back from the brink on one condition: have a slight change in structure. Some lost their jobs, others gained them, and Vernon's pay check gained a few zero's: that was enough that she didn't question it. It was a sign that her husband had the skills to allow for her to live comfortably, and from that day on she trusted his judgement without question.

She always had trusted him, almost as much as she loved him.

It was why, when the boy was dumped on them, with a letter saying they had no choice in the matter, saying he was 'special' like his mother, she knew Vernon would make sure her son never felt as abandoned as she did. He would make sure history wasn't repeated.

Yes- there were times where she felt a nagging in the back of her mind, saying it was wrong, saying this boy was not Lily, had done nothing to earn this. But when she voiced the concerns to Vernon she remembers how he wasn't angry, or annoyed, he simply took her in his arms, held her softly, and in a gentle, loving voice quietly explained that they had to do this. Not only for her son, but for her own wellbeing.

And she believed him; she loved him.

She thought back to the last time she had nearly lost him: The boy had been 6 years old.

It was one of the only times she had intervened in a discipline session. Usually Vernon was careful, he left no visible marks and nothing that would be permanent.

But this time was different. Vernon was drunk after yet another bad day at the office. She knew it was an accident: the boy shouldn't have had his arm near the door like that! Vernon had broken it, and then proceeded to punish the boy, grabbing it and twisting until the bone finally snapped completely, that was when she stepped in, guided her husband to bed and calmed him down before patching the boy up and sending him to bed himself.

The next day his teacher Mr Mathew's noticed, and upon learning he had not been to hospital and seeing the bruises he'd had the audacity to report them!

The slander must have been why the business went downhill, it was all the boys fault, and she knew it!

Still. She had married a fine man, one with connections. And those connections had ensured no further action was taken and this teacher lost his job for false accusations.

That was how things worked: if you crossed Vernon Dursley you paid the price, Paul Mathews learnt that the hard way.

After that few tried to intervene with the boy's life, and those who did were quickly put in their place, the financial crisis had only made Vernon stronger. Not even magic could stop her husband!

…

As Harry walked up the path towards the burrow he thought back on how strange the day had been. Not that that was saying much: the majority of his days had something strange about them, but usually that was mostly confined to school with the Dursley side being nothing but dull and 'normal'. Well, normal by the Dursley family standards (Harry couldn't help feel they weren't as normal as they liked to claim; how many families had a wizard in their cupboard, 5 TV's, and a son and husband each the width of a truck but a wife- and nephew if you count him as part of the family, they certainly didn't- the width of a tube of toothpaste?

Harry couldn't help being curious, his mind drifted back to his thoughts when the police had first knocked on the door. He'd contemplated the time Hagrid had shown up, broken down the door, and his life had forever changed.

It seemed like the old saying was true: History likes to repeat itself.

Maybe that's how divination really works: look through history, find the pattern, follow the pattern with a few encryptions to allow for the anomalies, burn some incense and have a cuppa. Simple!

It made it odd that Trelawny couldn't get it right! Pattern:

Step 1. Something strange happens over the summer

Step 2. School starts

Step 3. Something strange starts happening at school

Step 4. Harry gets annoyed (usually people turning on him and/or keeping important secrets that he really should have been told a while ago)

Step 5. Someone/thing tries to kill Harry and his friends

Step 6. The kids save the day and get a pat on the head from the adults

For some reason she seems to forget step 6 is a thing and assumes it ends at 5 with a successful attempt on his life.

So far step 1 had featured the before mentioned Hagrid incident where he learnt he was a wizard (and magic existed, and he was going to Hogwarts, and about Voldemort, and he was famous… OK, he learnt a lot that day), then he had a house elf in his bedroom and two trips in a flying car, then his aunt turned into a living balloon and he learnt someone was out to kill him. OK that last part wasn't so strange for him but for most people it would be a doozie.

Now this was happening. Only this time Harry couldn't help worry he was about to have some very dark secrets exposed, secrets so complex he wasn't even sure why he kept them himself sometimes.

Things were so muddled Harry didn't know what to think or feel, or even what to tell Ron and Hermione.

The main question was: how would this end?

His life had improved dramatically after the Hagrid incident, would it improve more? Would he finally leave the Dursley's? Or was this the beginning of the end?

Whatever happened, Harry took comfort in the small blessings he still had: his cousin had been gone and his aunt at the station for questioning when he went back to get his stuff so the trip was mostly uneventful, spent collecting stuff and answering Mr Weasley's questions about muggle objects he saw both in the house and with the police. He couldn't shake the thought the man was biding his time, like he wanted to ask more about what was going on (Harry was honestly surprised that he hadn't, if relieved) but was waiting for something.

…

As it was, Harry was right: Mr Weasley was dying to know more about what was going on in Harry's home life! But he was a smarter man than most gave him credit for: he knew if he immediately started questioning the boy he would just clamp up and hide (years of raising 7 kids taught you things like that).

He also knew he couldn't simply relate to harry like his own kids: there just wasn't that natural bond that exists between father and son. No, if Arther was going to get this right he'd have to be patient and take things slow. Harry had already opened up a fair amount, even hinting at things unknowingly such as how his aunt and uncle seemed perfectly content to lie to him about huge matters such as his parents deaths (he knew that story was NOT out of thin air- Ron said Harry didn't know about magic until he was 11: that means until then he had probably only been told that outrageous car crash story!), and even the simple act of calling for an adult to help him was a huge step for the boy who previously ran into a forest of spiders on a whim based on a riddle spouted by Hagrid- WHY did that man think it would be a good idea to tell two 12 year olds but NOT Dumbledore, McGonigal, or ANY other ADULT. Honestly, that man was as bad as the kids sometimes!

As it is Arther had the basic outline for what he planned to do: get Harry somewhere safe, have a private word with Molly about what she thought they should do, see if he can work his way into getting Harry comfortable enough that he can have a private conversation without the boys barriers slamming up, speak to this police woman about what she knows. After that he'd have to see what cards he's working with.

…

Dumbledore was shocked (a rare thing indeed)! As he looked through Skeeters article he saw a story so wild only she could have written it… yet knowing Harry Potter, it could well be true.

How was she even allowed near him!? Dumbledore had put a lot of work into protecting Harry from the press! And what's this about his uncle being a drug lord, at no point had his monitors shown any sign of the man taking illegal substances! If he had he would have taken Harry away immediately, or arranged the man to go into a residential rehab until clean (probably the latter- blood wards and all),

Yes, he knew they didn't treat Harry as well as he deserved, a fact that constantly pained him. But he could only meddle so far and the wards must remain, not only for the sake of Harry's safety, but the safety of the wizarding world!

But never had Dumbledore suspected Harry had been in any danger from the family: under-loved? Sadly yes. Under-fed? Also yes. Over worked? Again yes but that had at least worked out in the boys favour- physically he was fast and surprisingly strong. Did Albus wish things were different and he could have put harry in a more loving home? Every day!

Just like how every day he regretted how things had gone with his brother, the loss of his sister, those lost in the war based on his decisions, the fate of Frank and Alice Longbottom, Hagrid being expelled despite being innocent, being unable to help Remus Lupin or Sirius Blacks more, and thousands of other things!

Yet here was an article saying he knowingly left Harry with a dangerous criminal!

That he was trying to mould Harry into some kind of puppet who had to rely on him for guidance in the absence of family! How he wished that the boy would turn to him more- maybe then he wouldn't keep with the pattern of nearly dying on a regular basis; that was NOT a pattern he wanted any student falling into!

And what was the part about Harry ripping clumps of his own hair out about?

A quick check on the protective spells he'd placed on the boy himself showed he was safe with the Weasley family at the Burrow.

Knowing the boy would be at the world cup in a few days Dumbledore decided he would start at the Ministry he grabbed some floo powder and made for the fire: he would start by talking to Fudge and the Prophet about what was going on, then swing by number 4 to get their side of the story, and hopefully have all this sorted in time to find Harry at the world cup and speak to him about what they decide on.

 **NOTE: for the record in terms of Arthur's section: it seemed he knew about the spider incident in PoA (presumably Ron told him) so while I'm sure he does like Hagrid, I get the feeling he'd be a tad annoyed with him.**

 **Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think in the review section, hope this chapter answered some questions about Vernon's situation and how he got in it (next chapter should get exiting!)**

 **To those reading my other story: Good Friends, Good Neighbours I'm hoping to post a new chapter soon!**


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